Machine for handling coal or other materials



J. C. FRENCH.

MACHINE FOR HANDLING COAL OR OTHER MATERIALS.

' APPLICATION FILED IAN.26,1918. 1,35?,3j18@ Patented Nov. 2, 31920.

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MACHINE FOR HANDLING COAL OR OTHER MATERIALS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-26. 1918.

1,357,31 Patented Nov. 2, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

J. C. FRENCH.

.MACHINE FOR HANDLING COAL OR OTHER MATERIALS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-26.1918.

Patented Nov. 2, 1920.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3-.

UNITED STATESPATENT OFF ICE.

JAMES C. FRENCH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 FREDERICK C. AUSTIN, OF

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MACHINE FOR HANDLING COAL on OTHER MATERIALS. I

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 26, 1918. Serial No. 213,869.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES C. FRENCH, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful. Improvement in Machines for Handling Coal or other Materials, of which the following is a specification;

This invention relates to machines for handling coal or other materials. For example, a machine of this kind may be employed for loading coal into a wagon, or into a car, or for transferring the coal or other materials from one place to another. Also, it may be used as an excavator.

Generally stated, the object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved machine of this general character, having a bucket or scoop which may be moved along the ground to gather up the coal from a fiat;

ground surface and which may then be raised and swung around to dump the load into a car or wagon, or to transferthe coal or other materials to some other place, whereby the machine may be used as a stripper and loader, which means that it may be employed for stripping the coal or other materials from a flat ground surface, and

for then loadingthe same into wagons. or cars, depending upon the character of the work and the requirements of the situation.

Another object is to provide an improved construction and arrangement whereby a stripper and loader of this kind may be conveniently moved around, like a motor truck, from place to place, and may be moved around in a way that will facilitate the stripping of the coal or other materials on the ground and the loading of the same into wagons or cars, or into boats, or other receptacles, as may be desired.

It is also an object to provide certain details and features of construction and com binations tending to increase the general efiiciency and desirability of a machine for handling materials, as above explained, or for excavating or other purposes, of this particular character.

To these and other useful ends, the invent tion consists in matters hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine embodying the principles of the invention, showing the front and rear ends thereof broken away and omitted for convenience of illustration.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the movable or outer end portion of the boom of said machine.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the entire boom, showing the scoop or bucket in a different position thereon, in. full lines, and showing said boom and bucket in lowered position in dotted lines.

Fig. .4: is a longitudinal section of said bucket, showing the adjacent portion of the boom or runway.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectionof said boom or runway, showing the said bucket or scoop in front end elevation.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail sectional View vof the locking device by which the bucket or scoop is held in operative position on the carriage which travels on the runway or boom.

As thus illustrated, the invention comprises a suitable body frame 1 mounted on a turn-table 2 of any suitable character, which turn-table is supported by a pair of caterpillar traction devices 3, of any suitable known or approved construction. With this arrangement, the body frame 1 can be turned about a vertical axis, to facilitate the operation of the machine, as will more fully appear, and the caterpillars 3 can be operated to move the machine forward or backward. It will bev understood that any suitable devices can be employed for connecting the caterpillars with the engine (not shown) or other source of power on the body frame, and for connecting the engine with said turntable, whereby these instrumentalities may of the machine is broken away and omitted,"

for convenience of illustration, but it will be understood that the other end of the caterpillar 3 is like the end shown and that the body frame 1 is of sufficient length to sup port the engine or other source of power, and to counter-balance the weight of the boom 4 shown in the drawings. This boom is pivoted at 5 to the body frame, in any suitable manner, so that the boom may swing up and down about a horizontal axis. Said boom can be constructed in any suitable manner, as by providing two parallel I- beams (see Fig. 5), so that tracks will be provided for the wheels 6 of the carriage 7 upon which the bucket-or scoop 8 is mounted. This bucket or scoop is preferably pivoted at the rear end of the carriage, by a transverse axis member 9, so that the mouth or front end of the bucket or scoop may tilt 'downward. Normally, the. bucket or scoop is locked in raised or operative position by the locking device shown in the drawings (see Fig. 6), or by any other suitable means. Said locking device comprises locking bolts 10 mounted to reciprocate in the cylinders 11 carried by the carriage 7, the outer of said bolts being adapted to be engaged by the catches 12 rigidly secured to the front end of the bucket. When the bucket is raised about its pivot 8 from the position shown in Fig. 3, the beveled upper ends of the catches 12 will force the locking bolts 10 backward against the pressure of the springs 13 contained n the cylinders 11, and said locking bolts will then into the holes of the catches 12, thus locking the bucket in raised position. A transverse rock-shaft 14is mounted on the carriage 7 and provided with upstanding arms suitably connected with the locking bolts 10, so that by rocking this shaft the bolts will be withdrawn from engagement with the catches. Adso, the shaft has one end thereof provided with an arm 15 to rock the shaft. This is done automatically when the bucket is formed on the pulled outward on the runway which engages boom 4, by means of a stop 16 the arm 15 to withdraw the gagement with the catches. Thus the load is automatically dumped from the bucket or scoop when the latter arrives in position near the outer end of theboom.

Only two ropes or cables or other flexible connections are necessary for operating the bucket, as follows :-The operatin connection 17 extends outward and over t e sheave 18 at the outer end of the boom or runway, and then underneath to the front end of the carriage 7, whereby connection will pull the bucket or .scoop to the outer end of the boom. The second line or connection 19 extends outward and over the sheave 20 on the front end of the carriagc, and then downward to thefastening oint 21 on the mouthwor front end portion of the bucket or scoop, whereby a pull on this line 19 will draw the bucket upward from its dumping position, and will cause the catches 12 to engage the locking bolts in the manner previously described. Then by paying out the line 17 and continuing the pull on the line 19, in a manner that will be readily understood, the bucket or scoop will be pulled back toward the body of themachine, (see Fig. 1) and the boom 4 can then be lowered into the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, whereby the bucket or scoop is then ready to move forward and take up another load. To raise the boom or runway 4, a line I controlled by any suitable means.

. trolledindependently'of the others,

be forced outward.

bolts from ena pull on this line or that-zany suitable means can for reversing or controlling the motlon of said line or cable thereon Will raise the boom.

The lines or cables 17 and 19 are brought back to the body frame of the machine and suitably connected with said winding-drummechanism, which latter may be of any known or approved character and may be In this each of the lines 17, 19 and 22 is conthereby to' control the operation .o f the bucket or scoop in the desired manner.

The machine may be used asfollows:- Assuming that a pile of coal or other similar materials is resting on a flat ground surface, the machine is backed into position, with the boom 4 extending over the pile, and the bucket 8 is then drawn back toward the body of the machine. The cable 17 is then operated to pull the bucket or scoop forward through the coal or other materials, whereby the bucket or scoop is caused to take up a load by its forward movement. The line or cable 22 is then operated to raise the boom or runway, and, if necessary, the turn-table 2 is operated to swing the boom 4 laterally, and in this way the bucket or scoop 8 is raised and brought around into position to dump the load into a wagon or car, or into a boat, or into any other receptacle. The work-may be carried out in this way until the ground surface is stripped clean of the coal or other materials. The machine may also be used as an excavator. 'or for other similar purposes, as the bucket or scoop 8 can be lowered until it rests on the ground, and its forward movement will then cause it to cut into the ground and take up a load of dirt. By means of the caterpillars 3, the machine can be moved forward or backward, it being understood be employed way,

these caterpillars, as they are like those employed on motor trucks or excavators or other machines of this general character.

After the boom is raised (see Fig. 3). and

when the bucket or scoop reaches the limit of its movement toward the outer end of the boom, and when the catch 12 is automatically released, as previously explained, so that the-bucket or scoop 8 will tilt downward, the load is then dumped into the wagon or car, or into a boat or any other receptacle or 'ontothe ground. When the line 19 is pulled allowed to become slack, the bucket 8 will taut, before the line 17 is dumped or discharged. Preferably, when machine, and the boom or runway 4 can be" lowered to again bring the bucket into position for operation to take up another load. The caterpillars or other traction means 3 can be operated and controlled separately so that the machine can be steered to the right or left or turned around. After the scoop is in position to take up a load,-with the runway 4 in horizontal position, thesecaterpillars can be operated to push the scoop into the coal or other materials, if necessary, and can then be operated to propel the ma- .chine a distance from the pile to a point where the load can be advantageously the runway 4 is horizontal, the scoop 8 and the traction means 3 are then in the same horizontal plane, whereby straight forward movement of the scoop will strip the coal or other materials from the horizontal ground surface upon which the traction means.

travel. F or convenience, the line or'connection 17 may be called the pulling-out line, the line or connection 19 may be called the pulling-in line. this latter line, however, having the additional function of automatically restoring the bucket to carrying condition on the carriage, Also, the line or connection 22 may be called the lifting hne, inasmuch as this connection is used for rawing and lowering the runway.

It will be seen that by locating the pivot- 9 for the scoop 8 at its rear end, and also at the end of the carriage which is toward the body of the machine, the scoop is not only adapted to take up a load while traveling outwardly, and to dump the load at the outer end of the runway, but'is also capable of thus dum ing the load regardless of the disposition o the weight of the load therein. In other Words, the weight could all be at the rear end of the scoop and still the latter would tilt downward by gravity when released, inasmuch as the weight is always practically entirely in front of the axis 9 of the scoop. Moreover, the construction involves a scoop which is about as wide as the runway, and a carriage which is wider than the scoop and the runway. .In addition, the scoop is released while in elevated position, and may then be restored to operathe carriage while in elevated position or while above the ground, and does-not require to be lowered to the ground in order to restore it to latched position on the carriage.

What I claim as my invention is 1. In a machine for handling materials,

in combination, a projecting runway, a carriage below the runway and mounted to travel back and forth thereon, a scoop mounted on the under side of said carriage and adapted for movement toward the outer end of the runway and along the ground to pick up a load, a pulling-out line for operating the carriage forward along the runway, mechanism to automatically dump the load from the mouth of the scoop by gravity when it reaches the dumping position while the pull is maintained on the pulling-out line, and regardless of the disposition of the load in the scoop, a pulling-in line connected to the mouth of the scoop and adapted for both restoring the scoop to carrying condition" and pulling the'carriage backward on the runway so that the mouth of the bucket is pulled upwardly toward the outer end of the runway by the initial pull on the line which pulls the bucket backward toward the machine, and means on the carriage to support and form a bend in said pulling-in-line. 2. In a machine for handling materials, in combination, a projecting'runway, a carriage adapted to travel back and forth on said runway, a scoop mounted on said carriage and adapted for movement, along. the ground to pick up a load, a pulling-outline for operating the carriage and scoop forward along the runway, mechanism to automatically dump the load from the mouth'of the scoop by gravity when it reaches the outer end portion of the runway'while the pull is maintained on the pulling-out line, and regardless of the disposition of the load in the scoop, a pulling-in line for both restoring the scoop to carrying condition and pulling the carriage and scoop backward on the runway so that the mouth of the bucket is pulled upwardly toward the outer end of the runway by the initial pull on the line which pulls the bucket backward toward the machine, a body frame upon which said runway is pivoted toswing up and down, a turn-table for said body frame, windingdrum-mechanism on said body frame to operate said lines, a lifting line operated by said winding-drum-mechanism to raise and lower the runway, and traction means behind said scoop to support said turn-table, and so that the scoop and runway may be ushed forward into a heap of materials, the ottom of the scoop and the bottom of the traction, means being in the same horizontal plane when the runway is horizontal.

3. In a machine for handling materials, in combination, a runway, a carriage adapted to travel back and forth on said runway, a

scoop mounted on said carriage and adapted runway while the pull is maintained on the pulling-out line, and regardless of the disposition of the load in the scoop, a pullingin line connected to the mouth of the scoop and adapted for both restoring the scoop to carrying condition and pulling the carriage and scoop backward on the runway so that the mouth of the bucket is'pulled upwardly toward the outer end of the runway by the initial pull on the line which pulls the bucket backward toward the machine, said mechanism comprising a horizontal pivot for the rear end of the scoop, whereby the mouth of the scoop may swing downward by gravity to dump the load, a latch at the front end of said carriage to support the front end of the scoop in raised position on the front end of the carriage, a device to operate said latch to release the scoop, and fixed means on said runway to engage said device, said carriage having a sheave at the front end thereof to support said pulling-in line below the runway, and the outer end of said runway having a sheave to support said pulling-out line. r r

4. A structure as specified in claim 3, said latch comprising agspring-pressed locking bolt mounted on said carriage and disposed above the scoop, and'a catch on the front .end of said scoop to engage the end of said locking bolt, and said device comprising a transverse rock-shaft connected with said locking bolt and provided with an arm to engage said means on the runway.

5. A structure runway being straight and supported to swing up and down and sidewise thereof, with tracks on the outer side of said runway, and wheels on saidcarriage to engage said tracks, the scoop being about as wide as the runway and entirely below said carriage, so that the carriage is wider than the scoop and the runway. Y

6. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a body, a runway projecting from said body, a carriage disposed below the runway and mounted to travel thereon, a scoop pivoted at its rear end on said carriage and with its mouth toward the outer end of the runway, means'for raising the.

runway to lift the scoop from the ground when loaded, means to move the carriage and scoop away from said body to cause the as specified in claim 3, said take up a load, mechanism to automatically cause the mouth of the scoop to tilt downward to dump the load when the carriage reaches the outer end portion of the runway regardless of the disposition of the load in the scoop, and a line extending over the carriage and then downward to connect with the mouth of the scoop, so that said line is looseto permit dumping of the load and is operative by a pull thereon to both return the carriage toward the body and automatically lift the mouth'of the scoop into normal position while in elevated position, and whereby the mouth of the bucket is pulled upward toward the outer end of said runway by the line which pulls the bucket backward toward the machine.

7. A structure as specified in claim 6, said carriage having a sheave at its front end to support said line above the mouth of the scoop.

8. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a body, traction means to support the body, a boom projecting outwardly from the body and forming a track or runway, a carriage mounted to travel back and forth on said runway, a scoop pivoted on said carriage and disposed with its mouth facing toward the outer end of the boom, means for raising and lowering the boom, a latch to hold the scoop in oper ative position on the'carriage, and whereby the scoop may be released to dump the load forwardly from its mouth, means to pull the carriage outwardly to cause the scoop to receive a load, means for controlling said latch to release the scoop, and means arscoop to ranged for returning the scoop backward toward the body of the machine and connected to raise the mouth of the scoop toward the outer end of the boom, to restore the scoop to its latched position on the carriage.

9. A structure as specified in claim 8, in combination with means for swinging the boom laterally about a vertical axis, so that the scoop may'travel outwardly in any direction and discharge the load from its mouth in an outward direction from the outer end of the boom.

Signed by me at Chica o, Cook county, Illinois, this fifth day of January, 1918.

JAMES C. FRENCH. 

